Malborough to Hope Cove Saturday 15th January 2011

27 days to go!!!  Only 3 more weekends to train!  One word for this 9 mile walk - windy.  sorry can't hear you  - WINDY!!!!!! We drove to Malborough village, near Kingsbridge / Salcombe direction.  The weather had been forecast for rain but as you will see, it was dry, a little cold but the wind was fierce.

Chapel Lane, Malborough

We parked at Malborough and were following a walk found on www.southdevonaonb.org.uk  Bolt Tail and Burleigh Dolts.  The first part of the walk took us to Chapel Lane and across some fields but we were unable to find the Burleigh Dolts - an iron age earthworks, so we re traced our steps, looked at the map outside the post office and set off again!

Map on wall of post office

From the point 'You are Here'  the route took us south across fields and then picking up the coastal path, walking west , around to the tip of land called Bolt Tail  and then down into Hope Cove and back inland to Malborough.

Post office and main village square 

On the right track now!

We could see Salcombe through the fields

Greeted by some colllies at Furzedown Farm

A decent stile, with steps up to it!  Bob could do this on his own!

Across some fields we could see this craggy outcroft which could be Lantern Rock ??

Bolberry Down where we start to follow the coastal path

The wind picked up along the coastal path and nearly swept us off our feet.

Trying to stay still in the wind.  My hair has other ideas!!

Looking back we have a view of the Ham Stone and the coast

Fernyhole Point

Bolt Tail

We can see Hope Cove from here

Bob got very excited from here and ran about with a stick.  It wasn't til later we discovered that he had found some fox poo to roll in.  He is very quick to do this without us seeing him.  I suppose the mad way he ran about with the stick should have been a clue!!

We walked across a field down to Hope Cove and had our lunch overlooking the bay. It was deserted today but it must be busy in the summer as it is beautiful.

Hope Cove with Lower Hope in the distance

Lower Hope Cove

Terrific waves thundering over the sea wall

More waves crashing down

From here, we walked back up the hill, towards Galmpton across fields back to Marlborough.

Some sheep were eating the heads of cabbages and were red from the Devon soil!

Greedy sheep in the cabbage patch!

Dave's pedometer read 18000 steps which is about 9 miles.  It took us 4 1/2 hours all together.  By now Dave should be walking for 8 hours a day, so we finished off the afternoon by walking round Kingsbridge shops.  That was more tiring than this walk!!